Fluid-packed pump



Patented June 2 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FORD W; HARRIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO EM'BCO DERRICK AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY, LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA. V

I FLUID-PACKED P MP.

pumps.

Deep wells which do not flow naturallyare pumped, for the most part, by'a reciprocating plunger pump which includes a barrel and a plunger slidably disposed in said barrel. The barrel is connected to the lower end of a string of pump tubing which extends from the top'to thebottoin of the well. The plunger is reciprocated in the barrel by a string of sucker rods which sup ports the plunger and extends .upward through the pump tubing to the top-of the well where it connects to a walking beam or other reciprocating mechanism.

The great head of liquid imposed upon P the pump tends to forcev liquid downward around the plunger. when 'it is making an upstroke, thus reducing the efficiency of the pump. A great may diflerent p ackings have been devised to prevent this loss in efficiency.

One device with this object is the fluid? the plunger is required to pass in a long and tortuous course in order to'flow downward past'the plunger. In most of these pumps av pair" of concentric tubular sleeves telescopically receive. a third sleeve so as-to form a vacuum -pocket between said air of sleeves on the upstroke of the p u'nger. Either the pair of sleeves or the third sleeve acts as the plunger, the otherjacting as the pump barrel.

Several difliculties have been encountered in using these fluid-packed pumps which it istheobject of my invention to overcome.

Inthe first place, the immense fluid head of liquid presses in upon-the sleeves, 'on the upstroke of the plunger,- -makingthe outer sleeve fit the-intermediate sleeve so'ti-glitly as to.ca'u se= excessive wear between thesesleeves.

It is an object ofmy' invent-ion to" pro,

vide a-{flui'd-packed pump in which-.thehmd of-pumped liquid is not transmitted {DQ121191 external surface of a sleeve haying int al engagement with ano'thersleeve;

. Several co ncentrictelescopically related sleeves are extremely diflicult'to mount in a manner 'so that they will be accurately aligned and not bind during'so'm'e portion of their axial movement relativef't'o each other.

1 It is another object of: myinvention-to frequently-happens faces becomes badly-wI packed'pump in which-the liquid above "iicked pump in which neihebarrel has a sleeve between a pair of er. cylindrical sliding single sleeve, it rie of these surwhile theother still has considerableiworkinglife left in it. As the cost of thesesleeves'in'a fluid-packed pump is mainly'in the grinding of true cylindrical surfaces thereon, it represents a Whei 'inOre-jth surface is provided".

.waste when a sleeve having such surfaces must be removed before the entire useful life of both internal and eigternal cylindrical surfaces be utilized in the" operation of the ump. i

A further object of my invention is to provide a fluid-packed pump in which a separate sleeve is provided for each ground sulrface upon either the plunger or the barre Other objects and advantages 'will be made manifest in the following description and in the ac'compa ying drawings in which a preferred embodi shown and described.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is, a fragmentaryvertical sectional view illustrating t e pump of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical medial sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig.

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken on the lines and 4-4 of 13 is screwed into the lower'end -of the col- '-l'ar 11 and the lower. end-'ofthis barrel is threadi'ly received in the upper portion of a" threaded intermediatecollar 14. The primary} barrel 13 has an internal cylindrical" surface 15' which is of snialler diameter than the internal surface of theapump tubing 12.

A secondary barrel I6 is threaded 1y received in the lower end of the-intermediate collar 14, the barrel '16 having an internal cylindrical surface 17 which is smaller in diameter-thanthe cylindrical surface 15 of the primary barrel 13. The lower endv of the secondary barrel 16 is connected by a lower ent of my invention is plunger 45 has an external cylindrical face tained against movement from the immedi ate proximity of the .seat 22 by a bar 23 mounted transversely Within the lower end of the secondary barrel 16, the ball 23 and the seat 22 cooperating to form a standing valve 24. g A sucker ro'd (not shown) is adapted to extend downward through the pump tubing 12 and a lower cou ling 25 of this sucker rod is indicated by otted lines in Fig. 1.

I A plunger head 26 preferably formed by casting, includes acylindrical threaded body 27 which has a lower portion 28 of reduced diameter and a still lower portion 29 of still further reduced diameter, the portion 29 being externally threaded. A central recess 30 is formed in the plunger head body 27, this recess having areduced diameter in its lower portion to form a valve seat 31 on which a valve ball 32 is adapted to rest. A transverse passage 33 connects the lower end of the recess 30 and the external faces of the body portion 28, the ball 32 and the seat 31 cooperating to form an inter-plunger pocket relief valve 34. 'A central cavity 35 is formed upwardly in the lower portion of the head body portion 29 and passageways 36 are formed upwardly through the body 27 to connect between the cavity 35 and the space above the plunger head 26. A cage 40 is formed upon the plunger body 27 so as to extend upward over the recess 30 and a threaded pin 41 projects centrally upward from the cage 40, the pin 41 being adapted to thrcadedly engage with the sucker rod coupling 25. A bar' 42 is transversely mounted in the lower.portionfl of the cage 40 so asto retain the ball 32 in the upper portion of the recess 30. I

A primary tubular plunger 45 is internall v threaded at its upper end so as to threadedlv receive the plunger head body 27. The

46 which is adapted to make a sliding fit in the internal cylindrical surface-15 of the primary barrel 13, preferably with a clearance of five to twenty thousandths of an inch. 4

A secondary plunger 47 is tubular in form and isinternallv threaded at its upper end so as to threadedly receive the portion 29 of the plunger head 26. When the primary and secondary plungers are thus screwed upon the plunger head 26 they form a plunger member P which is adapted to be reciprocated by the sucker red when this is reciprocated in the pump tubing 12 by a walking beam or other suitable reciprocating mechanism at the top of the well.

The secondary plunger 4'7 has an external cylindrical surface 48 which is adapted to lit the internal cylindrical surface 17 of the secondary barrel 16 with a fclearanceof five to twenty thousandths of an inch. The lower end of the sccondary plunger 47 is internally threaded and tlrreadcdly receives a plug 50 which has a vertical passage 51 extendingthcrcthrough having. a. seat 52 formed at the upper end thereof. A ball 54 is adapted to rest upon the seat 52 and a bar 55 is mounted in the. lower portion of the secondary plunger 47 so as to retain the ball 54 in the vicinity of the seat 52. The ball 54 and the seat 52 cooperate to form a working valve 56.

The operation of my fluid-packed pump is as follows:

The plunger member P is reciprocated vertically in the barrels 13 and 16 by neans of a string of sucker rods as previously men-i, tioned. An annular pocket is formed be-@ tween the lower portion of the primary barrel 13 and the secondary plunger. 47 as the plunger member P commences its upstroke.- The pocket 60 is always incommunicatior. with the lower portion ofthe recess 30 in; the plunger head 26 thrpugh an annular space '61 andthe transverse passage 33. During the upstroke of the plunger member P the pocket 60 is constantly increased in size, thus reducing the fluid pressure in this pocket so as to close the pocket relief valve 34. The working valve 56. is at this time closed, causing the body of oil in the pump tube 12 to be lifted by the upward movement of the plunger member P. This imposes an exceedingly high pressure upon the upper end of the plunger member P and tends to force liquid downward through the capillary space between the primary plunger-member 45 and the primary barrel 13. The pocket- 60, due to its being constantly increased in size during the upstroke of the V plunger member, receives all of the liquid which passes by the upper plunger 45 and maintains this liquid at such a low pressure that it-is' not forced downward between the secondary plunger 47 and the s'econdarybarrel 16. In this manner, the liquid which would otherwise be forced-entirely around the plunger is trapped in the pocket 60 and prevented from passing further downward around the plunger member P. During the upstroke the standing valve 24 is also open so as to admit a fresh charge of oil from the screen pipe 19 into the secondary barrel 16. I

On the downstroke of the plunger member P, the standing valve 24 is closed and the liquid which was drawn in through-this valve on the upstroke is forced upward through the working valve 56,"the ary plunger 47 and the passages 36, 1n pump? tubing 12. As the pocket 60 dimm- \ishes in' size on the downstroke, the liquid which-parsed around. the primaryeplunger 45 upward -viously made which should operate on the same general principle as my pump, .most

of the'sehave' uti both internal-and external cylindrical surfaces on one or more members to slidin'gly engage similar surfaces formed ou'other members of the pump.

The. pairs of sliding surfaces in a fluidpacked pump never wear equally, it being generally true thatvthe'pai'r of surfaces submitted to the full pressure of the liquid in the well are worn out long beforetheother pairs of surfaces need to be replaced. Thus members need to be thrown away upon which certain ground surfaces still have considerable'useful life merely because another surface on the same member has been worn tosuch extent that it no longer functions inthe'necessa manner. In my pump there is only one sllding surface formed on any one memberof the p p and this obviates the necessity of throwin away a part having a good working sur ace because another surface on the'same part has been worn out.

In the operationof my pump the cylindri- :cal surfaces 15 and 46 of the primary;bar-' rel and plun er members respectively will probablybe t e first to be worn out and the surfaces 17 and 48 ofthe secondary barrel and plunger members respectively will probably outwear two sets of and plungers.

'It is thus seen that considerable saving is accomplished by the structure of my fluidr k p ma.

The extendin primary barrels ofthe secondary plunger the primary plunger so rels end to end so that the'secondary barrel extends downward from the primary barrel,'places the connection between the prifmary and Secondary plungers a considerable distance from the, interacting surfaces of' the secondary barrel and plunger. This obviates a great diiiieulty which has previously been encounterdd in the construction of fluid-packed pumps,' which diiiiculty consists informing the threads on-za connecting membersuch as plunger head 26 so as to connect a pair of tubular niembers such as the primary and secondary plungers in accurate concentric relation.' An absolutely accurate concentricity is not required in the structure-of my pumpas shown because of the distance from 'the cylindrical surface 17 of the secondarybarrel 16 atwhich the secondary plunger i7. is connected to the primary plunger-45. y I

the annular spacefil, the passage valve provided on said "primary ably disposed in said secon ary barrel and and a standing barrels.

, bination of: a

thereof to extend downward therefrom; a

primary lungerslidably'disposed in said prima arre a secondaiz plunger slidably dis osed in said secon ary barrel and "connect to said primary plunger for reciprocation therewith; a working valve provided on said'pluniers; and 'a standing I arrels, said primary plunger having a depending tubular portion surrounding and spaced from saidsecondary 2. n a deep well plunger pump, the combination of: a primary barrel; a secondary barrel of less iameter than said primary barrel and secured to the lower portion thereof to extend downward therefrom; a primary plunger arr a seconda plunger slidconnected to the upper portion ofsaid rimaryplunger for reci rocation therewith; a-working valve provi ed on said plungers; valve provided on said 3. Ina deep well plun er pump, the combination of: a riinary arrel; a secondary barrel of less iameter than said primary barrel and secured to the lower portion thereof to extend downward therefrom; a primary plunger slidably disposed in said primary arrel; a seconda plunger slidably di osed in said. secon ary barrel and eonnec v to said primary plunger for reciprocation therewith; a working valve provided on said p'lunfers; and a standing valve provided on sai barrels, there bein a space between said primary barrel an sai secondary plunger which is enlarged by a 1guinping stroke of said plungers.

4. .a deep well plunger pump, the combarrel of less slidably disposed in saidrimary barrel; a secondary iameter than said primary barrel and secured to the lower portion' thereof to extend downward therefrom; a primary 'lunger slidably disposed in said primary arrel; a secondary plunger slidably;disposed in said secondary barrel and connected to the upper portion of said primary plunger for recCiIprocation therewith; a working valve provi ed on said plun rs;

and a standing valve provided on said arrels, there bein'g a space between said primary barrel and said secondary plunger which is enlarged by a pumping stroke of said plungers. 4

5. a deep well plunger pump, the combination of: a primarybarrel; a secondary barrel of less diameter than said primary barrel and secured to the lower portion thereof to extend. downward therefrom; a

primary plunger slidably disposed in said primary barrel; a secondary plunger slidably disposed in said secondary barrel and connected to said primary plunger for reciprocation therewith; a working valve provided on said plungers: a standing valve provided on said barrels, there being a space between said primary barrel and said secondary plunger which is enlarged by a 4 pumping stroke of said plungers and which deereases in size during the suction stroke, there being a passage opening from said space into the space above said primary plunger: and a check Valve in said passage, permitting fluid to leave but not to enter said spare through said passage.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 24th day of March, 1927.

FORT) \VdlARRlS. 

